Winter finales tend to go big, and East New York’s is no exception!
On East New York Season 1 Episode 9, Regina takes on corruption in the NYPD when a potential whistleblower commits suicide.
She’s not going to let this one go, but how will the brass retaliate for this investigation?
Regina will likely come out on top, but we might need to wait until 2023 to find out how. East New York will need a huge cliffhanger to keep people talking throughout the long hiatus; the winter finale could end with Regina facing a hearing or other disciplinary action!
She was able to make a fool out of Chief Donaldson, who was desperate to brand her as a chaos-causing maverick, but that doesn’t mean he won’t try again — especially if he’s one of the investigation’s targets!
Police suicide rates are astronomical. It’s a tough job, especially in today’s anti-police climate. But the timing of this cop’s suicide sounds suspicious. He dies shortly before he was planning to go public with his corruption claims.
That sounds like a motive for murder, and if Regina’s right, her detectives WILL get to the bottom of it. And if the cops in question are corrupt enough to kill one of their own, they will stop at nothing to keep Regina from exposing the truth.
Regina’s in one of the most precarious positions in the NYPD. She heads a precinct where the crime rate is higher than it should be, most likely because past department heads have pursued racist policies in which residents are treated like criminals and ignored when they need help.
The powers that be already hate the reforms she’s made and would love to get rid of her. This case might allow them to make their next move.
Sandeford already discouraged Bentley from pursuing a lawsuit against white patrol officers who mistreated him because “cops don’t tell on cops.” Could investigating this case cause division within the 7-4?
Regina might be able to spin it as protecting a fallen brother in blue, but since the victim was a whistleblower about to expose police corruption, that might not fly.
Yenko can be trusted to be loyal to Regina, and Bentley and Quinlan are younger cops who might care more about the truth than the thin blue line.
Sandeford won’t like it, but he’s not in charge, so will he go along with it? And how will Morales and Killian feel about it?
If the troublemakers succeed in turning the cops of the 7- 4 against one another, that could make things harder for Regina. She needs a loyal team, but does she have one?
Meanwhile, Suarez will likely be caught in the middle. He’ll want to smooth things over with 1PP or with the mayor’s office, but will Regina let him?
She made it clear that she wants him to back off and let her talk to the brass, but she’s also not as politically savvy as he is. She may need his help, especially if her investigation exposes any bombshells.
Even if it turns out this cop did commit suicide — which isn’t likely given the circumstances surrounding his death — he had plenty of info about police corruption that is bound to come out.
The question is whether any of it will hit close to home for the cops of the 7-4. While it’s logical to assume higher-ups were involved, it would be more dramatic for some of Regina’s cops — or people close to them — to have not-quite-clean hands.
It’s unlikely that any of the cops Regina works with are dirty cops lining their pockets by sending innocent people to prison, but they could have been involved in corruption on a lower level. Cops that predated Regina might also have looked the other way while being fully aware of corruption.
That would make them complicit, and if a good cop like Yenko or Suarez got caught up in something like this, it would cause a ton of conflict for Regina.
If all of the workplace drama isn’t enough for you, there’s also some more stuff between Bentley and Quinlan.
When these two decided to back off from one another because Sandeford saw them kiss, it was only a matter of time before that plan fell apart.
According to spoilers, they are again growing closer. That’s not a huge surprise, though it’s unclear what that means.
They’ll probably be helping to work this case together, so they can’t avoid each other easily, and it won’t be easy for them to disguise their feelings.
This is why they should talk to Sandeford instead of assuming he disapproves. There isn’t much of a reason for him to be upset about this, especially since he was on a date himself at the time!
If the issue is the usual “what will HR think?” one that pops up regularly on cop shows, that has nothing to do with Sandeford. He seems like the type who has better things to do than tell Regina about this.
Still, it needs to be dealt with, and pretending not to be into each other isn’t the best way for Quinlan and Bentley to go.
Are you excited for the winter finale, East New York fanatics? Hit the big, blue SHOW COMMENTS button and let us know. And don’t forget that you can watch East New York online.
East New York airs on CBS on Sundays at 9 PM EST / PST.
Jack Ori is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. His debut young adult novel, Reinventing Hannah, is available on Amazon. Follow him on Twitter.
